NYC Tastes

It was another crazy and amazing year that seemed to go by way too quickly as always.  Things got off to a great start with the return of  Founders CBS  one of my favorite beers of all time.  I really didn't think this would ever be brewed again so I spent the first two months drinking it as much as humanly possible.  Fried Chicken Sandwiches became all the rage; Fuku , Delaney BBQ and the Brooklyn Shake Shack continue to have epic lines for these crispy creations.  The Blue Hill pop up WastED  was also a huge highlight of the year.  It was amazing to see the community of chefs, farmers and retailers come together to shine light on the extreme waste of food in the industry and celebrate these "leftovers" by incorporating them into incredible new dishes.  And as a personal success it only took me two full years but I finally got a  Cronut !   Of course as time passes the culinary landscape must change and...

I was invited by the wonderful folks over at  Tabelog  to a party at Tuome last week; a cozy little East Village spot helmed by Chef Thomas Chen formerly of Eleven Madison Park and Commerce.  The cuisine is billed as Asian Fusion but that loose term doesn't adequately describe the incredible dishes coming out of this kitchen.  Here's a look at some of the tasting: Beet - quinoa, five spice yogurt, pumpkin seed.  This tiny bite really set the tone for the night. The toasted quinoa imparted a nutty, smoky flavor that brought out the meaty texture of the beet with a touch of heat.  It was so simple yet stunningly delicious. Chicken Liver- mousse, NY maple, milk bread.  The sweet bread and maple cut right through the richness of the mousse and made this decedent bite seem almost light. Egg- deviled, crispy, chili.   The egg white is panko fried so it's super crispy then filled with a mixture of yolk, shallot, Dijon mustar...